Someday
by Just One
Summary: [NaruIno Oneshot] One day, he would know how much he had ment to her. One day, she would tell him. Might turn into a twoshot soon.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto - Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-sensei. I do own the plotline of this story.**

**Author's Note: This is my first NaruIno. In fact, it is the second one I've ever written, but the firstisn't ready for posting yet. It is better than his one though, evolving around life as an ANBU for both Naruto and Ino. Anyhow... This piece is a little something about Ino shwoing her gratitude to Naruto in her own personal way.**

**Read and Review, Onegai!**

**-xx- Nika**

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_I admire you, Naruto. _

_You have the power to make your dreams come true and that's what I wish I had. You can work hard and tire yourself and push to the edge just to get further, just to widen your range and push away those borders, just to reach that horizon._

_I wish I was more like you sometimes. Deep down inside there is a small part of me that's like you. But the rest of me is doubtful and insecure. I cover it up with courageous confidance and playful flirting. I can't hep but feel like I'm a package wrapped up so beautifully that everyone fails to notice there's nothing real inside it. I wish I could be more like you - you are who you are, always. I admire that._

_I know I should try harder. I can do better than this, I realise it well. But most of the time, I lack the motivation. I miss you, Naruto. I miss making fun of you. As long as you were around, there was always someone to look down on. I really shouldn't have, but I needed to push you down so that I would not be the one that is pushed down. You didn't deserve to be floored by my attitude like that. I still have that problem... But you don't know that._

_I wish you knew how much you've done for me. You've helped me see a lot of things I would not have been able to grasp myself. You're sort of like a mentor to me, yet you don't know you are. You're just you, and that's enough. In case that you never get this letter: One day, I'll say all of this out loud. I'll say it to your face, because you deserve it. Give me a little time to build up the courage, alright? One day..._

_I hope you'll be back soon. I miss you._

_Ino._

She stared down and let out a deep breath, forcing her quivering limps under control. This had gone different in her mind. She'd been through it half a dozen times, but she'd never considered she'd be so nervous about delivering a letter to the place of someone who wouldn't be reading it for months, maybe years to come. Yet she was nervous, and her trembling hands proved it.

Sliding the window open, she stealthily hopped into the apartement. She had tried the door first, but it was locked shut tightly (which had surprised her - she had half expected him to have forgotten to lock up his place before he left). The window was always a good second option.

This place could use some cleaning, she mused as she cast a glance about. A thick layer of dust covered every single piece of furniture. Clouds of dust rose when she sat herself down on the matress, sending her straigth into a five minute coughing fit. Cobwebs settled in every corner, spreading silvery threads all across the cealing. Ino was glad she'd left the window open, for it would have been too without the fresh air streaming in.

She shook her head to clear away the thoughts holding her captive, and brought the envelope to her lips. Pressing a gentle kiss onto the paper, she lowered it onto the phillow and let out a deep breath. She had done it. She'd left the letter. Now maybe finally, she'd have some closure.

Before standing up and leaving, her eye caught the picture on his nightstand. She'd thought he had taken it with him when he left with the Sannin, but apparently he had refrained from it as the pictureframe holding the image of his old team was still there.

She lifted it from the nightstand leaving a neat clean print on the dust covered surface, and brought it closer to her face, gently blowing the dust away. A small smile graced Ino's lips, as she rubbed the glass in a caring manner.

Ino did not know how much time she spent on that same spot, perched on his bed and hugging her knees while staring at the picture and taking in every feature of his young face. She awoke from her daze when morning was already marching up and the sunrise was battling the moon for the reign over the sky. A soft light shone in through the open window and reached the bed, slowly creeping further and further until she felt it hit her face.

It was time to go. Soon, Ino's mother would come wake her up and the older woman would not be pleased if she wasn't where she was supposed to be when that happened: in her bed, asleep. She set the picture back in it's place and leaped out of the window, halting or looking back not once. She was done.

One day, he would know.

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**Click the pretty button, come on!**


	2. Chapter 2

_A letter?_

Two blonde eyebrows furrowed together, masculine hands reaching down and picking up the sealed envelope resting on his phillow.

_How did this get here?_

With a short flick of his wrist, Naruto broke the seal that held the envelope closed and pulled out the letter. A neat paragraphed letter in a nice and round handwriting, the way most girls write. He skimmed down to the bottom part first. One of his eyebrows rose unconciously.

_It's from Ino..._

Not that he received many letters or anything (most letters he ever received were about mission business, except for that joint Team Seven birthday card they had sent him two years ago - it had been a long time), but Ino? This was weird to say in the least.

_How did she enter anyways? I locked the door... Maybe Sakura gave her that spare key, although they weren't on that good terms when I left... Things have changed._

He sat himself down on the bed, lying back.

And then he read.

Ino sighed. Saturdays were her least favorite days. Each saturday (except when she was needed on a mission), her father would force her to help her mom in the shop. As the older woman prepared the most beautiful floral arangements to put in display, Ino stood behind the counter and kindly helped the people who came by and desired to buy flowers. All. Day. Long. She didn't dislike working, or the flowers, but she couldn't stand all those people coming by and thinking that a bouquet of flowers could mend things between them and their love partners perfectly. Roses had their thorns, Ino knew. Not all cracks could be fixed.

A deep breath escaped her lips as she sat back onto the stool behind the counter after helping what would probably be the last costumer of the day. Her mom had left her to close down, so it was just her and the flowers. Or so she thought.

Confidant, striding footsteps coming Ino's way caused her to raise her head from the magazine she'd been reading. Then... Shock.

He had grown. She'd expected him to have done some growing (it had been two years, after all) but this handsome? She didn't think it possible. Yet there he was - spiky blonde locks of hair, bright cerulean eyes matching her own. He was way taller than her now. He could look down on her. It made her smile.

_We're not little kids anymore, ne, Naruto..._

Trying very, very hard to make something understandable out of the mess in her head, a small sentance escaped Ino's lips.

"So, you're back..?"

He nodded.

"Just entered through the gate this morning. I already saw Sakura-chan and Kakashi-sensei, and Shikamaru... And that girl from the sand, what's her name..."

"Temari?" Ino offered. She received a bright smile in return.

"Yeah, that's it. Baa-chan is immidiately putting me under pressure again, telling me to go training first thing in the morning tomorrow. I can't even have a day off!"

She eyed him incredulously. "Are you kidding me? You've just had a vacation of almost two years!"

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck in defense. "Ah, well, it wasn't all fun you know! Ero-sennin made me work really hard! He's a very cruel man most of the time, but I think he hides his true nature to get more girls... He's a dirty pervert, know that?"

Ino couldn't hold in the snicker that escaped her lips just then. "I'm sure he does. So... Why'd you come here? Need some flowers? Got a girl to impress now that you've been gone so long?" She accompanied her words with a saucy little wink.

A gentle, pink haze rose to his cheeks. "Not really, no. I don't think so. Is there anyone I should be sending flowers? I didn't forget Sakura-chan's birthday again, did I!?"

She shook her head. "No, you're fine. But if it's not for the flowers, why are you here then? We're closing down in..." After a quick glance on her watch, she continued.

"...five minutes or so."

Naruto grinned. "I came to see you, Ino-chan!"

Ino quirked a brow at the nickname. "Why?"

"I got your letter."

_Oh... Yes, the letter... Damn. I _knew _I shouldn't have written that letter..._

"I wasn't really thinking when I wrote that, so don't mind it too much. It doesn't really matter. You see-"

Naruto tuned out the girl's voice and instead focused on her facial features. She was still the same, breathtakingly pretty girl she had been when he left a few years ago. Of course he hadn't really known her back then, and still didn't, but that could be worked out. It wasn't an issue.

The warm fuzzy feeling he had gotten from reading the letter she'd sent him returned. It made his stomach loop-de-loop in his belly and his brains run overheated in turmoil. Love was a complicated thing.

"Ino."

The commanding tone in his voice surprised her, and she halted in her line of words, the endless exuses she'd been spilling so far. He'd never spoken like that before.

"H-Hai?"

She dared to look up and immidiately her breath hitched high, heart beating faster than she thought healthy. Naruto was leaning towards her, hands planted firmly on the counter for support. His eyes were sparkling brightly with a mix of unindentifiable emotions. He knew. The grin was still plastered on his lips, bright as always.

His hand was warm when he placed it on her neck, pulling her closer. Not until that moment did she realise she had slowly been pulling away. She hadn't wanted to though. She wanted to lean in, she wanted to have him close. For the first time in her life, Ino desired to be physically connected to the blonde outrage.

And so it happened. He stopped her from backing away, and she relaxed at the gentle, reassuring squeeze his hand gave the side of her neck. Before Ino knew it, instincts made her eyes flutter shut and right at that second his lips pressed firmly onto hers. She let him carry her to unknown shores of happiness and bliss and weaved her arms around his neck. Naruto's hands travelled slowly down her sides, sending shivers all over her body at his very touch before his arms wrapped tightly around her waist, never to let go. They continued to wrap up in one another that eventually, both bodies were draped across the counter just to reach eachother the most and share the best kiss of their lives.

God, she had missed this boy. More than she thought. As sudden as it had started, he backed away and broke the contact. But not for long. Breathing is essential to ensure survival, after all.

He understood her secret message, the words she'd been screaming at him from between the lines of her letter. The words she'd refused to say because there was still something named pride and she valued it greatly. And Ino felt the emotions behind his kiss, the answer to her plee.

_I love you._


End file.
